Secure Element-Centric Digital Rights Management

1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a processor of a mobile device, a request to present content on an output device of the mobile device; determining that the requested content requires a subscriber-specific security key to be presented on the output device, wherein the subscriber-specific security key is a digital rights management key assigned by a mobile network operator to a subscriber of the mobile device and is associated with the requested content; accessing, by a secure element processor, a secure element embedded within the mobile device that includes a secure element memory of the mobile device having stored therein a plurality of subscriber-specific security keys, wherein the secure element processor operates independently from the processor of the mobile device to provide access to secured or personal information requested by the processor of the mobile device from the secure element memory, wherein the secure element memory is protected by one or more security layers implementing encryption techniques to restrict access to the secure element memory to the secure element processor, and wherein the secure element memory further includes an application that when executed by the secure element processor, obtains the subscriber-specific security key or secured information for the processor of the mobile device; analyzing, by the secure element processor, the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element memory; retrieving, based on the results of the analysis, the subscriber-specific security key of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys that is associated with the requested content; determining, by the processor of the mobile device and based on the subscriber-specific security key, a content decryption key; and presenting, by a media player application executed by the processor of the mobile device and using the content decryption key, the requested content through the output device of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the analysis failing to identify at least one of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element memory as the subscriber-specific security key that is associated with the requested content, the retrieving further comprises: launching, by the secure element processor in the secure element of the mobile device, a content key application for retrieving subscriber-specific security keys associated with the requested content.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: in response to control signals from execution of the content key application by the secure element processor, transmitting a request for subscriber-specific security keys related to the content to a server associated with the mobile device; receiving the subscriber-specific security keys from the server; storing the received subscriber-specific security keys in the secure element memory; and sending the received subscriber-specific security keys to the media player application executing on the mobile device processor.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: executing a bearer independent protocol to receive the requested subscriber-specific security keys related to the content.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the content key application launched from the secure element is a secure application associated with the media player application executing on the mobile device processor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the analysis identifying at least one of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element memory as being associated with the requested content, the retrieving comprises: obtaining the identified subscriber-specific security key associated with the requested content from the secure element memory; and returning the obtained, identified subscriber-specific security key to the mobile device processor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber-specific security keys are transferrable from the mobile device to another media device by inserting the secure element memory into the other media device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to completing, by the mobile device processor, a purchase of content from a content provider, establishing a communication connection with a mobile network operator trusted service manager; and receiving, via the communication connection, a subscriber-specific security key associated with the purchased content from the mobile network operator trusted service manager.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving the requested content via a cellular transceiver from a mobile network operator via a communication channel established by the mobile device processor with a wireless communication network.

10. A device, comprising: a wireless mobile network transceiver; a user interface element; an output device, wherein the output device comprises at least one of a display device or a speaker; a device data storage storing a plurality of applications including a media player application; a device processor coupled to the transceiver and the device data storage; and a secure element coupled to the transceiver and the device processor, the secure element including a secure element processor and a secure element data storage, wherein the secure element data storage is protected by one or more security layers configured to implement encryption techniques on the secure element processor to prevent access by the device processor to the secure element data storage, and wherein the secure element data storage comprises an application that when executed by the secure element processor, obtains secure information; wherein the device processor is configured to execute the applications stored in the device data storage and to control the device to perform functions, including functions to: receive a request to present content on the output device from the user interface element; determine the requested content requires a subscriber-specific security key to be presented, wherein the subscriber-specific security key is a digital rights management key associated with both the requested content and a subscriber of the device; send a request to the secure element processor for the subscriber-specific security key; receive at least one subscriber-specific security key from the secure element processor in response to the request; present, by execution of the media player application using the received subscriber-specific security key, the requested content on the output device; and wherein the secure element processor is configured to interact with the device processor to control the device to perform functions, including functions to: in response to the request from the device processor, access the secure element data storage having stored therein a plurality of subscriber-specific security keys; analyze the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element data storage; and send, based on results of the analysis, a subscriber-specific security key associated with the requested content to the media player application executing on the device processor.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the secure element processor is further configured to control the device to perform functions, including functions to: in response to the analysis failing to identify one of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys corresponding to the requested content, launch a content key application for retrieving subscriber-specific security keys associated with the requested content; receive the subscriber-specific security keys from a server; store the subscriber-specific security keys in the secure element data storage; and send the subscriber-specific security keys to the media player application executing on the device processor.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device processor is further configured to control the device to perform functions, including functions to: in response to control signals from execution of the content key application by the secure element processor, transmit a request for subscriber-specific security keys related to the content to the server; and execute a bearer independent protocol to receive the requested subscriber-specific security keys related to the content.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the content key application launched from the secure element is a secure application associated with the media player application executing on the device processor.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the requested subscriber-specific security keys are stored on a subscriber identifying module memory accessible by only the secure element processor.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the requested content is stored on the device data storage.

16. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: receiving a request to present content via an output device of a mobile device; determining that the requested content requires a subscriber-specific security key to be presented on the output device, wherein the subscriber-specific security key is a digital rights management key assigned by a mobile network operator to a subscriber of the mobile device and is associated with the requested content; accessing, a secure element embedded within the mobile device that includes a secure element memory of the mobile device having stored therein a plurality of subscriber-specific security keys, wherein the secure element memory is protected by one or more security layers implementing encryption techniques to restrict access to the secure element memory, and wherein the secure element memory further includes a secure application that when executed by a secure element processor, obtains at least one of a plurality of subscriber-specific security keys; analyzing, by the secure element processor, the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element memory; retrieving, based on the results of the analysis, the subscriber-specific security key of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys that is associated with the requested content; determining, based on the subscriber-specific security key, a content decryption key; and presenting, using the content decryption key, the content through the output device of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein in response to the analysis failing to identify at least one of the plurality of subscriber-specific security keys stored in the secure element memory as the subscriber-specific security key associated with the requested content, the instructions causing the machine to perform operations further comprising: launching a content key application for retrieving subscriber-specific security keys associated with the requested content.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , the instructions causing the machine to perform operations further comprising: in response to control signals from execution of the content key application by the secure element processor, transmitting a request for subscriber-specific security keys related to the content to a server associated with the mobile device; receiving the subscriber-specific security keys from the server; storing the received subscriber-specific security keys in the secure element memory; and sending the received subscriber-specific security keys to a media player application executing on the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , the instructions causing the machine to perform operations further comprising: executing a bearer independent protocol to receive the requested subscriber-specific security keys related to the requested content.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the content key application launched from the secure element is a secure application associated with a media player application executing on the mobile device.